White King Volume II: Gates Fit For One
by Seig Terajima
Summary: Sequal to Volume I: Mark of the Angels. Seig, now aware of the destiny before him, must cope with the harsh reality of the White City if he hopes to overcome the evils that lie in the Dark...


Wowzers, I'm at it again. Same stuff here, same blah-blah you all already know. Square Enix owns the ones I didn't make up....Just give credit where credit is due, 'k? Spiffy.  
  
By the way, I really need some response to this one, 'cuz for my last one I only got one from someone who was kind enough to give me a comment. Once again, flames will be used to heat my house.  
  
Enjoy.....again.  
  
White King  
Volume II: Gates Fit for One  
  
Seig had definitely, DEFINITELY, never been here before. For the past week, all he had been accustomed to were small homes, palm trees and quiet beaches. This place was too far from it. Seig and the girl were jostled left and right as they made their way down the streets, and Seig's ears were already hurting from the amount of noise he was not so used to. His wrist was still held in the girl's vice-like grip, and even if he had tried to talk, she wouldn't have heard him. _At least SHE'S stopped talking..._He thought to himself wryly.  
  
For what seemed like hours, the two plowed through the dingy, dirty streets of wherever they were. Eventually, they reached their apparent destination, because she stopped, and let go of his wrist.  
Reaching out, she banged her hand three times against a rusted metal door. There was a pause, and a little slit appeared at the top.  
  
"Password?" A gruff voice asked. The girl sighed, as if she had done this plenty of times before.  
  
"Moogles bang their heads against walls to make it rain." She said, and Seig looked at her as if SHE banged her head against a wall repeatedly to even think about saying something like that. The door slit closed, and a lock sounded, and the door swung open. Casting an eye around the streets, as if making sure nobody was looking, she took a step inside, followed by a very confused Seig.  
  
The man behind the door was just as big as Barret, large and bulky, tattoos running down his bare, tanned shoulders. A broad sword hung from a cloth belt, and he ran his finger up and down the blade as they entered, but when he saw Seig, his hand suddenly jerked, and he cut his finger on the sharp edge. He stared down at Seig in disbelief.  
  
"You-you found him, Aleeshia?" He asked, and the girl nodded her head, beaming. She was clearly pleased with herself. Taking Seig's wrist again, she led him off down a sloping, poorly lit hallway. The girl, Aleeshia, paused at a concrete wall at the end of the walk downwards. On the wall, a crudely painted copy of his very own tattoo appeared. Heaving a deep breath, the girl pushed a button to the left side, and the door slid open.  
  
Taking long, purposeful strides, the girl strut in. The room was lighted slightly better than in the hallway, and a few people were crowded around a table. Some bunk beds stood on either side of the door, where some people were either sleeping, or doing something else.  
  
"Well, look what the cat dragged in." A strong voice said from the table, and Aleeshia beamed.  
  
"Yep, found him near the docks."  
  
"SEIG!"  
  
"SEIG!"  
  
Two shouts of joy came from the bunks, and Seig was soon crowded by two boys his age, both patting him on the back and hugging him ferociously.  
  
"You're alive!"  
  
"This is awesome! Where the hell have you been?"  
  
Both boys barraged him with comments and questions, until a pair of black gloved hands pulled them both back by their collars.  
  
"Let the boy breath, guys." He said, and Seig matched it with the voice earlier. The man was tall, brown-haired, and a scar running just above his nose. He stared down at Seig. "Before you do anything, I suggest you go see Merlin." He let go of the boy with the black hair and red sweatshirt, who fell on the floor with a _thud!_ And pointed to a door on the left.  
  
Slowly, aware that all eyes were on him, Seig walked to the door. It slid open with another automatic hiss, and Seig entered another room.  
  
This room was completely different from the other one. High ceilings were crammed with bookshelves, and not a space on the floor wasn't littered with either an open book or some piece of paper.  
  
"Ah, Seig. Glad to see you are alright." A weary voice said. Seig wheeled, only to find a very wizened old man, and if Seig wasn't looking for him, he probably would have missed him entirely.  
  
"Are you...Merlin?" he asked, and the man nodded, shifting his position in his chair to brush some papers off another high backed chair, and beckoned with his hand.  
  
"Indeed I am. Please, take a seat." Seig hesitated, then sat down, facing the old man in the robe.  
  
"I see you are confused." The old man commented lightly, and Seig nearly laughed. _That's the biggest understatement of the century...  
_  
"Yeah, there are a lot of things I don't know. Where are we?" He asked, needing to know a lot of things in a hurry. The man smiled wearily.  
  
"Yes, yes...I expected this might happen...all the books say it does..." He mumbled to himself. Seig gave him a look.  
  
"What might happen? What books?" The man raised his hands in defense.  
  
"Slow down my boy, slow down. I will explain all in a minute. But first, I do believe it is time for some tea." Just as he spoke, a sharp whistle of a kettle sounded, and the old man stood up. Crossing the room, he poured two cups of the steaming liquid, and handed one to Seig, sitting down.  
  
"Now," Merlin began, taking a sip of his tea, and placing it on a table. "In order to explain everything, we must go back...yes, yes, very far back indeed." He pointed his fingers, and stared at Seig with surprisingly bright green eyes. "It all began back before time started, back before shape was shape. Everything was either one of two things: The Light or The Dark. And from the Light, a race was created: The Angels. The Angels, extraordinarily wise for a new-born people, knew that this mass of swirling, clashing titans needed shape and form. So, using the powers of the Light, they created Time, and space. The sky was given birth...every world under the same sky. In each world, the Angels created people, and allowed them to live their lives as they would choose. The Angels, however, could not allow such an evil thing as the Darkness to interfere with their beautiful creations. So, they locked away, behind the doors to the worlds."  
  
"Is that...?" Seig started, and Merlin raised a finger.  
  
"Yes, you came here, to this very world, through the doors of the worlds. You were originally born here, raised by your Uncle-."  
  
"Ishan." Seig finished, and Merlin arched a bushy eyebrow in surprise.  
  
"I remember his name from a dream I had when I was...somewhere else." Merlin nodded understandingly.  
  
"I suspected so. The Darkness can have that effect on people. It will claim all of your fondest memories, and leave you only with the experiences where you felt angry, lost, sad, confused or depressed. What I am perplexed about, however, is how you retained your memory from before Aleeshia found you near the door here." He said, obviously expecting an answer. Seig shifted his eyes away from the old man's piercing gaze.  
  
"I-I thought of someone I met there...and it all just came back." He said, and Merlin only nodded.  
  
"I see...I see. At any rate...where was I again? Ah yes, the doors. The doors lock each world away from each other, and also keep the Darkness at bay. For a time, the Angels thought this was good, but they soon realized their own mortality...a sacrifice for using so much of their own power to create, and they all agreed that a place was needed where they could live and prosper." Merlin gestured with his hands all around the room. "And so, they created the White City. Sadly, the city has had a bit of a run for its money since the Angel's line was broken. Which leads me to my next point," He took another sip from his tea, while Seig's lay abandoned. This was too important, too vital, for tea. "The White City, or Città degli angeli, once a beacon of perfection, has been laid to ruins, as I'm sure you've seen. The reason is quiet simple: the heir is missing, and Ansem has torn this city asunder trying to find him. A futile effort, for the most part, on the account that he's been gone for the past week or so." He peered at Seig with twinkling eyes, as Seig put the pieces together. The light bulb clicked.  
  
"That means that I'm...and Angle?" He asked hesitantly. The lined old man, placed a boney finger on his nose, and smiled.  
  
"Correct. Your father was the Archangel, the Keeper of the Gate and Wielder of the Key. Only an heir to the Archangel's legacy can open the doors to the worlds, which is how you can move from world to world. Your uncle, Ishan, kept you hidden away for years, on your mother's request. Both your parents agreed that it might be necessary, in case anything should happen. And indeed, something did happen. Their most trusted scholar, a revered wise man by the name of Ansem, became interested in the Darkness, and found how to manipulate its raw, yet sinister, power. Corrupted by it, Ansem used it to take over the Castle, and kill the Angles. Since then, he's been searching for you. Just a few days ago, the day you arrived on...wherever you landed, his most trusted servants found your safe house, and you fled to the hidden door in the city, the one your father made personally just in case, and you were safe for the time. I'm afraid your uncle was murdered that night. I know, you most likely don't remember a thing about him, but you should know his sacrifice."  
  
Seig knew he should feel some form of remorse, but he couldn't muster it up. It was hard to mourn for someone he couldn't remember. He could only nod at Merlin's words. The old man sighed, and clapped his hands together.  
  
"Well then, I do believe that is it. Anything else you would wish to know?"  
  
Seig racked his brain, and came up with just one question.  
  
"You mentioned my father having some sort of Key. Do I have that as well?" Merlin smiled.  
  
"Of course, how could I forget? It's these old years gaining up on me. The rebellion can certainly take if out of a man...yes, your father had a key. The Key, to be exact. This Key is in your blood...quite literally, in fact. The powers of the Key lay within your own DNA, and when you are ever in trouble, you can call upon its powers to protect you."  
  
Seig heaved a ridiculously large sigh, and realized that he was very, very tired. Merlin seemed to read the look in his drooping eyes, and smiled.  
  
"You must be tired...and this must be a terrible burden for you. I'm very sorry to have to impose all of this upon you so suddenly, but our need is growing more and more dire. But we shall discuss that tomorrow with Leon...now, it is time for you to rest. Just go through the same door again, and have Yuffie show you to a bed."  
  
Seig just stood up, and slowly moved from the room, and Merlin closed his eyes in thought. _Let us hope he can handle this...  
  
_ As he returned to the other room, he was once again surrounded by the three kids.  
  
"Seig, is it true? You can't remember us?" One boy asked, and Seig sighed.  
  
"I really wish I could say different. Sorry." He mumbled, and another boy, spiky brown hair jutting from his head, swore under his breath. He looked a bit like Sora.  
  
"Merlin told us this might happen."  
  
"All right, all right, give the boy some space. I thought Leon told you this just a minute ago." A female voice said, and the group reluctantly parted to show a rather petite woman with short, black hair and an incredibly skimpy outfit.  
  
"I'm the great, fearless ninja Yuffie." She proclaimed, and in Seig's sleepy haze, he realized that she had a bigger ego than Riku. "You need sleep, little dude." She said, and led him to one of the open bunk beds, where Seig promptly collapsed on, and fell asleep.  
  
When he awoke that next morning, he imagined he was back in his bed, and he was forced to get up for another day of school...but then the weight of the previous night came crashing back down upon him, making him feel incredibly tired. He was an Angel, the only heir to this world, and all those worlds out there. Seig wondered bitterly if he would ever see his friends again, if he could ever return to the Destiny Islands. This place here was just...chaos. Too much of the problems here revolved around Seig, and he felt terrible about it. Back on the islands...he could be just a regular kid, get in to regular fights with bullies, not fight ancient evils and be expected to save everyone.  
He opened his eyes slowly, only to see the same thing he saw the night before. The same people were huddled around the same table, and the only difference was the lack of other people in the room. His old friends, _whoever they are_, were nowhere to be seen.  
  
"Ah, just in time." Leon's voice came from the table, and Seig turned his head to see him, Yuffie, Merlin and some other man standing around the table. Seig sat up, and got out of the bed, clothes already on, and walked to the table, rubbing sleep out of his violet eyes.  
  
"We were just discussing what we were going to do now that you're back. The first thing we decided was that you need to learn to fight."  
  
"I already know how." Seig interjected, and Leon arched one of his eyebrows.  
  
"I think my uncle taught me." Seig explained.  
  
"Well, you'll need to know better than that if you ever hope to hold your own against Axel and the Heartless."  
  
"Who's Axel, and what's a Heartless?" Seig asked. Clearly, this wasn't one of those things Merlin explained.  
  
"Axel is Ansem's only actually living servant. He is cruel, ruthless, and is capable of commanding the Darkness almost as well as his master himself." Leon explained just a fraction of a second before Merlin launched in to a long-winded speech. "As for the Heartless, they are creatures spawned from the Darkness, molded my Ansem, and created to serve only him. They feed off of the light in people, therefore stealing their hearts. Axel commands a special group of Heartless, called the Shadow Hearts. They are the ones who killed your uncle in search of you."  
  
"Anyways," Merlin cut in, clearly disappointed that he couldn't explain. "We all think that in order to defend yourself from the Heartless, you will need to learn to summon the Keyblade, and defend yourself from them. Cloud here will teach you." He gestured across the table, where a silent, blonde-haired man was standing, a maroon, frayed scarf covering his expressionless face. That wasn't the part about him the scared Seig the most...it was his eyes. Staring from behind cold, frosted blue was the eyes of someone who was completely lost. Seig shivered, and the man, Cloud, started at him unblinkingly.  
  
"Follow me." He said, and grabbed something form behind the table. As the two moved towards the door, Seig saw it was an overtly large, bandaged sword. Seig gulped.  
  
As the two walked down the dirty streets for the second time, Seig got a better view of the people. Most looked tired and worn, some wearing rags, but all of them cast Cloud a wary glance, eyeing his gigantic sword. The skyline was a pure blue, as if hiding the terrible mess below from some heavenly beings above. And, turning to his left, he could clearly see where these angelic beings above resided.  
  
Tall, gleaming spires of the purest marble towered above the streets, the sunlight reflecting off the surface. He stopped in the middle of the street, and stared at its beauty.  
  
"That is where you should be." Cloud said from behind the boy, and Seig turned to stare at the enigmatic man. All he did was stare back, and then raise a beckoning, golden taloned hand. Seig, casting one last look at the magnificent castle, then followed him.  
  
Seig could guess that they were somewhere near the docks when they pair arrived at their destination, judging by the cries of the seagulls above. Seig watched with great interest as Cloud set down his sword, and moved a few wooden boxes to reveal a small passageway behind the alleyway. As Seig walked through the passage, a small smile played on his lips, realizing that this city wasn't what it appeared.  
  
His coat tossed to the side, Seig stood across from the fighter in the small makeshift arena. The seasoned warrior held his sword surprisingly well, and stared at Seig expectantly.  
  
"Draw your Keyblade." He said, and Seig shrugged.  
  
"I don't know how." He said, and thought back to his conversation with Merlin in his study.  
  
_"The powers of the Key lay within your own DNA, and when you are ever in trouble, you can call upon its powers to protect you."  
_  
"I think it only comes to me when I'm in real trouble..." Seig said slowly, and the blonde man shrugged, and sped at Seig full force. Realizing that Cloud would beat him mercilessly with that sword of his, Seig braced himself. _If there's any time when I've been in real danger...it's now._ Cloud was drawing nearer and nearer, Seig could hear the thudding of his steps on the stone, as he raised his sword to strike the boy down...end his life. Seig raised his arms in a rather shoddy job of defense, and braced himself for the blow.  
  
It never came.  
  
Seig felt his right hand grasp a warm, metal handle, and he opened his eyes to see that Cloud's sword was stopped inches above Seig's head, supported by a beautiful, yet curiously shaped weapon. Using all of his strength, he pushed back Cloud, who did not protest. Backing away from Seig, he allowed him to examine the Keyblade. The top of the blade was made of white metal, fading from the cold grey of steel near the base, to shining silver, much like the towers above the city. A ribbon-thin piece of metal twisted elegantly around the shaft, and attached itself seamlessly to a pointed, curving shape at the top. It looked very much like a twisted, bent form of a crown on its side. Below the ornate handle, a keychain of the same white metal attached a little version of the tattoo on Seig's shoulder to the base.  
  
"So...this is the Keyblade..." Cloud muttered, casting his cold, blue eyes across its surface. "Let us test this weapon of power against my Buster Sword. Prepare yourself!" He shouted. Seig assumed his stance, both hands grasping the handle tightly. Without warning, the man charged as fast as lightening, his Buster Sword lashing out at Seig's right side. Seig dodged away from the attack, and held his ground as he prepared for the next attack.  
  
The pair of fighters danced back and forth, shining Keyblade clashing against mighty Buster Sword. Seig smiled to himself as he lunged for the next attack, missing Cloud's leg by inches. _This is just like riding a bike...once you get the hang of it, PRESTO! Instant whoop ass! _ He thought to himself. It took him no time at all to adjust to the weight of the Keyblade, and he felt like it was an extension of his arm. Perspiration ran down his forehead as the two fought well in to the fading daylight. Eventually, Cloud held out a hand for Seig to cease, and the blonde-haired youth stopped in mid-swing.  
  
"That will do for today." Cloud said shortly, and the two walked out from the field.  
  
After replacing the boxes in their position, they set out in to the streets back to the hideout.  
  
Still carrying his newly acquired Keyblade down the hallway, Seig entered the room he was now all too familiar with, only to find two of his 'friends' there. The Sora look-alike was nowhere to be found.  
  
"Hey Seig!" The girl called cheerfully, and then her eyes flickered to the blade in Seig's weary hand. "Ooooooh! What's that? It's so pretty!" She cooed, and made her way towards the Keyblade. Seig, even in his tired state, had a strong feeling that she shouldn't touch the object. Just as she reached for it, he jerked his hand back.  
  
"I really think that you shouldn't touch it." He said, and she looked at him, pouting. Placing small, dainty fists on the waist of her black jeans, she stared at him defiantly.  
  
"And why the hell not?" Aleeshia asked, and the boy behind her placed a hand on her shoulder, drawing her back.  
  
"Let it go, Aleeshia." He said calmly, and, looking up at Seig, he smiled.  
  
"I don't think it's such a good idea to touch it either." He said, and the girl shrugged of his arm, and walked over to her bunk.  
  
"Whatever Ban..." She muttered. The boy, Ban, just shook his head sadly, and turned to Seig.  
  
"Don't mind her; she's not used to not getting what she wants."  
  
Seig laughed wearily, and he flopped down on the bunk he slept on last night. Sitting on the edge, he ran a hand across his new weapons surface. The beauty of the weapon was in its simplicity. Nothing flashy, it was just pure as the Light. Seig smacked himself mentally. It was MADE of the Light. _Duh..._ Ban watched with avid interest.  
  
"That's really the Keyblade?" He asked, whistling, obviously impressed. "Wow...Leon told us about that thing once, he said that it held untold power...only and Angel could wield something of that much Light power...so, does that mean you're an Angel?" He asked, and Seig nodded. Ban whistled again.  
  
"Wow...how come you never told us? I mean, back before all of this happened...back before we found the Rebellion, back when you Uncle was still...um...here?" Seig shrugged, and propped the Keyblade up against the wooden frame of the bed.  
  
"I dunno...I never knew myself until last night." He said, and Ban looked hard at him, before shrugging it off.  
  
"Well, Leon told us last night about your memory and stuff, so I wouldn't worry about it too much. I've gotta get back to my mom...she'll start to worry soon." He moved toward the door, and turned back to Seig. "It's a shame, though...I mean, your memory. We really had some good times back then...we'll take you around town tomorrow, providing Leon lets us. See ya."  
  
Seig lay down on the bunk, staring at the wooden paneling above him. So much was new in this place; he was still trying to learn the names of his old friends...  
  
"Cloud tells me you're damn good with that Keyblade of yours." A voice said to his right, and he turned his head to see Leon standing, arms crossed over his chest.  
  
"Yeah...I guess." He muttered. Leon grabbed a chair, and sat down next to Seig's bed.  
  
"We've been talking it over all day, and we're not sure what we're going to do with you." He said slowly, as if thinking something over. Seig sat up, and stared at the man. "We don't know if we can go through with the plan..."  
  
"Plan?" Seig asked.  
  
"The plan to take back the city. We've been monitoring Ansem's behavior for a while, and he's stopped looking for you for some reason. Just a few days after you went missing, the Shadow Hearts stopped looking around, and the city fell quiet again. That's what worries us so much...the lack of movement. The Heartless haven't left the castle in days...we don't know if he is aware you're back or not. The danger seems to have passed for now though, but we have to move in and take the castle back eventually. This is all riding on you." Seig looked at Leon with bleary eyes, and yawned loudly. Leon flashed a small smile.  
  
"Go ahead, get some rest. After all," He said, heading for one of the doors. "Even an Angel needs some sleep."  
  
Seig awoke on his second day in the White City, only this time to find a dozen people talking at once. Sitting up, confused. Seig tried to get an ear to any of the specific words. All of it was inconsistent rambling, so Seig got out of bed, grabbed his Keyblade, which remained remarkably untouched in the confusion. Shoving it in the back of his belt, hilt up, he headed to where Leon and the other leaders were standing around the table, a map laid out.  
  
"Wha's goin' on?" He asked, still making a brutal attempt to wake up.  
  
"Not now, Seig." Leon said, not looking up from his work making red marks on the large map. Merlin looked even more wrinkled and tired than usual, merely giving Seig a look before moving back in to his study. Yuffie pulled in off to the side of the mass chaos, and sighed.  
  
"Don't take it personally, Seig. We're just so incredibly swamped right now; we don't have time to answer anything."  
  
"What happened?" Seig asked, sensing some impending doom was upon them all.  
  
"We think there might be a spy in the Resistance, because the Heartless are combing the city, obviously looking for you." She banged her small fist against the wall. "When I find that bastard who told us off...I'll kill him." And with that, she walked off to rejoin the group at the map. Seig leaned against the dirty wall. He was really starting to think he was much more trouble than he was worth, and he was pretty sure that the others were thinking the same right about now.  
  
"Seig! Did you hear what happened?" Aleeshia asked, approaching him, the Sora look-alike in tow. Seig nodded heavily, and Aleeshia sighed. The other boy banged his hands against the wall, just as Yuffie did.  
  
"I really wish Ban would get back...we don't know if the Heartless found him, or if he's alright!" He said, and Aleeshia nodded solemnly.  
  
"He hasn't come back yet since last night...one minute he was at his house, then next...we have no idea what happened to him!" The boy explained, and Aleeshia placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.  
"Don't worry Cale...we'll find him. I'm sure he'll turn up soon."  
  
Despite the obvious weight of the situation, Seig made a mental note of the boy's name, which was apparently Cale. It was ironic how me never asked their names, yet somehow found out anyways. He was still worried about Ban, though. He had never seen any of these Heartless things, but they sounded dangerous, and he didn't want his friend to get in their way. Pulling his Keyblade from his belt, he stared hard at it. _You're the cause of all this..._ He thought bitterly, but then realized that the Keyblade was part of him...that it WAS him..._Is it all MY fault...?_  
  
His friends seemed to try to read the look on his face, and concern reeked from them.  
  
"Don't worry Seig, I'm sure we'll find Ban soon...don't worry about it." Cale said, trying to sound light about it, in hopes of cheering Seig up. _They don't understand...They don't realize anything..._ Scowling, Seig shoved past people towards Merlin's study, leaving his two friends behind.  
  
Seig entered the study, and promptly sat down in one of the squashy, overstuffed chairs that wasn't covered in paper.  
  
"Something the matter, Seig?" A voice asked from behind one of the stacks of books. Seig propped his Keyblade besides the chair, and ran his hands through his hair.  
  
"What, besides the obvious?" He asked sulkily. Merlin's old and decrepit head appeared behind the books, and he looked hard at Seig.  
  
"Then what, pray tell, is so obviously infecting your mood?" He asked politely. Seig just glared at him.  
  
"You surely don't mean to tell me that you did not EXPECT this?" Merlin asked, seemingly shocked.  
  
"What do ya mean?" Seig asked, temporarily putting his mood aside to hear what Merlin had to say. Normally, whatever it was, it made sense.  
  
"Naturally, wherever there is light, there will be dark." He said placating. "Of course, if the Wielder of the Key was to return, word would naturally find its way to Ansem that it was back. One way or another."  
  
Seig still pretended to be bitter, but he knew that Merlin was obviously right.  
  
"I didn't ask for this..." Seig said quietly, and Merlin shook his head.  
  
"Of course you did not, nobody in their right mind would...but nonetheless, you are here, and you have the Keyblade. Sometimes, it is better to deal with it and rise to the occasion." He said, arching his eyebrows, that now familiar twinkle in hi eye. Sighing, Seig smiled.  
  
"I just can't win with you...can I?" He asked. Merlin only smiled.  
  
Returning to the main room, Seig found it almost completely empty, save for a few people stuffing things in bags, or taking maps off the walls. Only Leon and a few other members of the Resistance were left. Leon wasn't carrying anything, and a strange gun-sword hybrid weapon has in his gloved hand. Merlin appeared behind the boy.  
  
"What has happened?" He asked, obviously getting the feeling something was up. Leon snarled.  
  
"The Heartless caught wind of where we are, and are heading towards us right now." He said. Seig's grip on his Keyblade intensified. _They're coming...  
_  
"There's more..." Leon said, as the last people filed out the opposite door. He closed his eyes, grimacing. "We've gotten word that Axel and the Shadow Hearts are leading them."  
  
For speed much unexpected by someone his age, Merlin grabbed all his important books and papers, and was out the door, so that only Leon and Seig remained.  
  
"C'mon," The young man said, beckoning. "Everyone's gone, and you should be too." And left through the hissing door. Seig made to follow, but a crash at the door made him turn. What he saw made his Angel's blood run cold in his veins.  
  
Darkness, great waves of it, was pouring out of the cracks, and slowly taking form. Small legs attached themselves to a body, and a head. The only light in their midnight-black bodies was from two, hauntingly yellow eyes. Seig braced his legs as the shadows advanced towards him. Forming a small semi-circle around him, the Shadows waited for someone to make the first move. One to the left did, lunging at Seig, claws outstretched to tear him to pieces. Brining the holy weapon in an upward arch, Seig cleaved the monster in two, and both pieces burst in to dark smoke. As if on cue, two more came out, and Seig swung the Keyblade at their necks, rendering both of their heads from their bodies in one move. _This is easier than I thought..._Seig thought as he demolished three more Shadows. Expecting more, Seig raised his blade in ready. But none moved. The just stood still, antenna's twitching. Looking past their small frame, Seig saw the great concrete door slide open, and someone walk in.  
  
Flaming red hair spiked back from his pale, dead face, a black, hooded raincoat framing his runner-like body. Eyes, colder than Cloud's, emptier than the souls of the Shadow's, stared at Seig. Black diamonds, seemingly tattooed under his eyes, stretched from the smirk the man was wearing.  
  
"And so..." He mused, black gloved hands flexing. "We meet at last...the last of the Angels...the keeper of the Keyblade..." He advanced, and the circle of creatures parted to let him through. Seeing past the man's captivating stare, Seig saw other figures filing through to door. As they grouped around the presumed Axel, Seig counted seven, hooded figures. Featureless, they all dressed the same as Axel, black raincoats draped over them. Seig was suddenly very, VERY frightened. Shadows he could handle, but Axel and the Shadow Hearts...he wasn't so sure. They were closing in, and Seig began to feel cold...chillingly cold...he was falling, and the sound of maniacal laughter once again filled his dreams.  
  
Consciousness slowly found its way back to Seig, fading in and out, pulsing. Eventually the pictures stayed in his vision, and he blinked a few times. Moving to rub his eyes, he found he couldn't. As a matter of fact...he couldn't move anything. A bright light was suddenly turned on in front of his eyes, bringing pain to his retinas.  
  
"Rise and shine hero." The cold voice of Axel said, mocking Seig with the title 'hero'. "You've had quite a nap, but now...now it's time for our playtime." Seig's 'bed' was cranked in to a vertical position, where Seig faced Axel for the second time. The man cracked his knuckles, and smiled sadistically at the boy. Pulling a very lethal looking knife from his sleeve, he approached Seig, almost casually.  
  
"Lord Ansem has taken a special interest in you, boy..." He said slowly, flicking the knife in the air, and catching it again. "I don't know why...but if what he says is true, then you are special indeed. Lord Ansem has given me the special task of recovering something from you...but it seems that it disappeared when you fainted..." Seig's mind immediately shot to only one possible item..._the Keyblade_. Axel continued nonchalantly. "Yessire...the Master was terribly upset when he learned this, but then came up with a better way..." As he stood directly in front of Seig, the man seized Seig's chained hand. Grinning in a twisted way, he forced open Seig's hand, and made a slash upon the tender flesh. Determined not to yell out in pain, he gritted his teeth in an attempt to bear it. Sensing Seig's obvious pain, Axel pushed his hand down on the openly bleeding cut. At this point, Seig couldn't take it any longer.  
  
"Does that hurt you, boy?" Axel asked, taking a vial and letting the blood drip in to it. Facing Seig directly, he hissed. "If it was up to me, I'd cut your wrist and let it all spill...but as I said, the Master has a special interest in you." Sighing, as if he had been deprived of a special treat, he turned, and left the dark room.  
  
To Seig, hours must have passed, since Axel had left. The cut in his hand had stopped bleeding a while ago, but he could no longer feel it. The quiet was driving him mad, not a sound was in his prison, and he drifted in and out of sleep.  
  
A noise from somewhere outside the room awoke Seig. He swore out loud, he was having such a nice dream too...he was back on the islands, walking along with Cassie...the sun was setting, like it did on that one night...Maybe if he tried to go back to sleep...he could go back to that dream, and leave all this pain behind...  
_Bang!_ Another noise came from outside the door. _Why can't they just let my die in peace... _The door was opening...Axel was returning to finish the job.  
  
"Oh my GOD!" Cale hissed through clenched teeth. Seig stared in disbelief at his friend. He had survived. Apparently, Aleeshia did as well, because she filed in behind Cale, who was hopping up and down on one foot. Aleeshia just roller her eyes at him.  
  
"Maybe if you hadn't run in to that chair back there like a klutz, you wouldn't be in so much pain!" She whispered. Cale was about to retort when Seig opened his mouth.  
  
"I hate to interrupt your fight about chairs and banging into them, but do you think you could get me down?" Both teenagers seemed to put their differences on hold, and turned to Seig. Aleeshia looked down at his left hand, and gasped a bit too audibly.  
  
"What did they do to your hand?" She asked, as Cale was removing the clamps. Falling from his vertical position, Seig crouched on the floor, trying to get the feeling back in his limbs.  
  
"Axel cut it and got some blood...I don't know why." He said, massaging his tender wrists. Standing up, he jumped up and down a few times to work out the muscles.  
  
"We've come to break you and the others out." Aleeshia explained, taking Seig's wrist and leading him in to the torch-lit hall. "It's only us two and you. Everyone else is in these cells down here." Leading Seig to the left, they passed dozens of wooden doors, and no guards in sight. Obviously, Ansem did not feel that any prisoners could escape from the castle. At each door, Cale peered in the slit, trying to see anyone inside.  
  
"Hey! This one's got Leon and Yuffie!" Cale whispered urgently, and Aleeshia and Seig turned to the door. They tried the handle.  
  
"It's locked." Cale proclaimed. _Duh..._ Then, Seig got an idea.  
  
"Guys, stand back..." Seig said, and both obeyed. The last time I did this, I was in a fight...but now... He tried thinking about the Keyblade, picturing it in his mind...I need to free the Resistance...we need to get out of here. Seig felt something taking form in his fist. In an instant, he was holding the Keyblade. Cale whistled lowly.  
  
Pointing the Keyblade at the door, he tapped the handle. There was the resounding _click_ of something being unlocked, and the door swung open. There stood Leon, looking extremely worse for wear, an unconscious Yuffie thrown over his shoulder.  
  
"What took you so long?" He asked, shoving past the group, and grabbing his Gunblade by the door.  
  
After freeing Cloud and some others in the same fashion, the group slowly crept down the corridor, led by Aleeshia, who apparently knew the way. At one of the last doors, though, Cale called to the front of the group.  
  
"Hey, Ban's here!" The procession of people parted to let Seig through, who nearly broke the handle off with his Keyblade. Forcing the door open, he faced a very broken looking Ban. He sat in the corner of the bare cell, knees drawn to his chest, staring unblinkingly at the opposite wall.  
  
"Oy, Ban!" Seig called, shaking his friends shoulder with his left hand, ignoring the pain. Ban didn't even look up, or register that he had heard Seig.  
  
"What's wrong, mate?" Cale asked. Leon sighed from the hallway.  
  
"We don't have time for this."  
  
"I'm not going with you." Ban said, looking down at the floor. His voice sounded hollow. "I don't deserve to." The group exchanged looks, and Seig sighed.  
  
"Yeah, you are coming with us. I dunno what's goin' on with you, and right now I don't care. We're leaving now, and you're gonna get your sorry ass up from that floor and come with us. One way or another." Motioning for Cale to help him, both boys hoisted Ban up, who wasn't resisting much. Dragging the boy out to the hallway, Seig grimaced.  
  
"Don't be stubborn Ban, help us here." Cale groaned, and Ban actually started moving his feet. Releasing his arms, Cale and Seig continued moving.  
  
As time passed, Seig noticed that the floor was steadily moving upward, and they eventually leveled out in to a brightly lit stone corridor. Turning left, the crept stealthily along the side, and found themselves facing a magnificent statue. It depicted an elegantly featured man, robed, and beautiful, flexing wings sprouting from his shoulders. But there was something about the man's face...something that seemed familiar. _Of course it seems familiar,_ Seig thought, smiling. _He's family._ Aleeshia completely ignored its beauty, and pressed down on a jewel in the statues stone gauntlet. The wall to the right of it slid in to itself, and Aleeshia headed down the passageway without hesitation.  
  
The passage was narrow, made of the same stone that the rest of the castle Seig had seen so far was made of. A light was growing bigger and bigger in front of them, and they all immerged in a place had found himself before. It was another part of the docks, but yet the same docks nonetheless. Looking back at the passage behind them, all Seig saw was stone wall. The white spires of the castle were far away from them; almost too far for the distance they traveled to exit it. _Angel magic...cool.  
_  
"Ah, good." Someone said, and Seig saw a cloaked man approach them. Seig could see a snow-white beard, and lined lips cracked in a small smile. Aleeshia smiled proudly.  
  
"Yep, got them all, Merlin." She proclaimed, and Merlin nodded.  
  
"The question now is: where are we going to stay to recover?" Leon asked the question that was on everyone's mind. For a minute, everyone was silent, nobody knew what to say.  
  
But Seig knew.  
  
Seig knew the perfect place, a place where Ansem couldn't find them, not in a million years...but...could he bring everyone along?  
  
"I think I've got an idea..." Seig slowly, and everyone turned to him. "You see, the thing is...I dunno if you can all come along..."  
  
Merlin knew what he was thinking of, however, while everyone else was clueless.  
  
"Theoretically it could work, Seig...if everyone was holding some part of each other, if we were all connected to you somehow. It would be extremely draining to you, though...do you think you're up to it?"  
  
Seig nodded, and started walking to where the second door was hidden.  
  
This has to be it...He though, thinking back to how the scene looked the first time he was here. Facing the brick wall, he turned to everyone behind him.  
  
"Everyone take hands." He commanded, taking Aleeshia's in his own. Making sure everyone was connected, he continued. "Now, while we're in there, if you start to forget who you are, remember what we're fighting for. Think of something strong enough to hold on to...if it's not strong enough...you'll loose your memory." Turning back to the wall, he took a deep breath.  
  
"Here we go." He said, and pointed the Keyblade at the wall. Once again, the wall began to glow, and the sucking sensation came back again.  
  
_This darkness..._  
  
Seig, still hand in hand with Aleeshia, tried to imagine the Destiny Islands in his mind.  
  
_The school...the beach...my house...Sora...Riku...Cassie...THERE!  
_  
That wooden door could only lead to one place, only one place in all of the worlds. Smiling to himself, he shoved through the door.  
  
Everyone landed in the dirt of the Secret Spot in a heap, with Seig on bottom. Moans could be heard from the upper parts of the mound of tangled bodies, and people slowly started to stand up. Cloud got up first, dusting himself off, and Seig snickered. Being in a pile of people wasn't very dignifying, especially for someone like Cloud.  
  
"Where are we?" Leon asked, hoisting the still unconscious Yuffie up, and peering at the crude drawings in a scrutinizing way.  
  
"The Destiny Islands." Seig proclaimed, retrieving his Keyblade from the dirt. Starting up the hill, everyone followed in to the bright sunshine.  
  
Passing through the vines covering the Secret Spot, Seig breathed in the fresh air. This place was somewhere he had memories of...to Seig, this was more of a home than the White City ever was. Judging by the lack of boats in the small dock, Seig could guess that it was the middle of the day, and everyone was in school. A few extra boats were in the dock, so Seig turned to the group.  
  
"All right, we're gonna go to my house, where we can make a plan. There's about ten of us, so we'll take the two extra boats, five to each. It'll be a tight fit," He started trotting down the beach. "But it beats swimming."  
  
Despite being crammed in a boat with Cale, Aleeshia, a silent-as-the- dead Ban, a rather irritated Leon and an unconscious Yuffie, and the impending doom about to rain down upon them, Seig couldn't be happier.  
  
Pulling up to the second island, Seig tied up the boat, and jogged up the familiar path to his house. Much to his surprise, it was unlocked, and unharmed. He breathed a sigh of relief. Seig had expected it to be ravaged, and cops everywhere, investigating his disappearance. Then again, he had only been gone for three days. Ushering everyone in, he closed the door, and locked it.  
  
"Take Yuffie upstairs, and put her on my bed." He told Leon, who nodded and departed. Turning to everyone else, he grinned.  
  
"Make yourselves at home, I guess. We'll decide what to do later." He said, and turned to the bathroom to attend to his cut.  
  
Iodine hurt a lot more than Seig expected, but the bottle said it cleaned all wounds, and Seig really didn't think Axel cut him with a very clean knife. Bandaging his hand with some gauze roll, he returned to his living room to find only two of his friends marveling at his television. Smiling at their awe, he headed out of his house, determined to find the others at school.  
  
The walk to the school was less time than he remembered, and in no time he stood at the door. Before he pushed open the doors, he looked down, realizing he had grabbed his Keyblade.  
  
"I don't think Keyblades are allowed in school..." He said, and then realized the humor in what he had just said. Closing his eyes, he imagined the Keyblade evaporation in to a cloud of white smoke. As he did, he could feel the handle dissolving between his fingers. _I'm getting better at this every minute.  
_  
Pushing open the doors, he walked in to the homely halls. Hearing voices come from the cafeteria, and looking at a nearby wall clock, Seig saw that it was in the middle of lunch time.  
  
The cafeteria was so crowded that nobody noticed him creeping along the sidelines, headed for the usual table. Familiar voices came to his ears, and he smiled.  
  
"It's been ridiculous...Seig just...disappeared as soon as he came..."  
  
"The last one who saw him was Cassie, but...she doesn't know what happened...after he dropped her at her house, he just vanished! Just like magic..."  
  
"Yeah, my disappearing act's really improved." Seig said casually, desperately trying to not crack a smile. "But my reappearing act is even better."  
  
His friends just gaped at him. Nobody said anything, until Sora cracked a goofy grin, and slapped him on the back.  
  
"Seig, you son-of-a-bitch you, where the hell have you been?" Riku asked. Seig just laughed lamely.  
  
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." He said, helping himself to Sora's food. Kairi folded her arms, and stared hard at Seig.  
  
"Try us." She said flatly. Seig looked from one face to the other, and sighed in submission.  
  
"There's no way I can get around this, is there?" He asked, and all three shook their heads.  
  
"I can't say here," He said, lowering his head. "Come to my place after school, I'll tell you there." He said, and stood up to leave.  
  
"I'll be damned! Seigy-boy!" A voice called from behind Seig. The boy whirled, and his eyes narrowed dangerously.  
  
"I don't have time for your shit Zell." He said coldly, and the boy just scoffed.  
  
"Well, I've got plenty of time for you, punk. You embarrassed me a while ago, and I think it's time to prove I'm better."  
  
Zell advanced on Seig, fists raised. Seig sighed, and removed his jacket.  
  
"Do we really have to do this?" He asked, looking around and noticing that the entire room had grown silent. A few tables away was...Cassie. He was about to wave when a fist came crashing in to his jaw. Reeling backwards, he leaned on Riku and Sora's shoulders for support. Moving his jaw around a few times to make sure it wasn't broken. Seig sighed, and started walking towards Zell, who was gloating over his small triumph. Without warning, Seig charged at Zell, who swung hard at Seig's jaw again. But Seig was ready, ducking under the swing, and coming up under his chin.  
  
The bully fell backwards, clearly unconscious. Seig stood there, in the middle of the cafeteria, the entire room silent as the grave. Then, slowly, someone started clapping, then another, then another, and soon the entire cafeteria was drowned in applause. Seig just looked at them all, and then at Cassie, who sat there in shock, snatched his coat from the table, and left the cafeteria.  
  
His first appearance back hadn't turned out as he hoped it would, but Seig wasn't complaining...much. That image of Cassie's face still lingered in his mind as he headed towards the exit.  
  
"Seig!" A voice called, and Seig wheeled to see Cassie running towards him. _Here she comes..._ He thought, and took a deep breath.  
  
Cassie still looked the same as she always did, but her pretty face was wrought in distress.  
  
"Seig..." She whispered, and he couldn't help but smile.  
  
"Hey..." He said. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Instead, she just collapsed in to his arms, sobbing in to his chest.  
  
All Seig could do was wrap his arms around her, and comfort her from whatever made her act this way.  
  
"C'mon, we'd better get out of the hallway..." Seig said, and Cassie nodded in to his shirt.  
  
Both teenagers sat outside the school, under the shade of a palm tree, far from the windows of the school. Neither said anything, but this wasn't a very comfortable silence. Finally, she spoke up.  
  
"Why'd you leave?"  
  
Seig heaved a huge sigh.  
  
"I did it on accident."  
  
Cassie looked up at Seig, her eyes brimming with unshed tears.  
  
"What do you mean, 'on accident'?" Seig took a big breath, and began his tale.  
  
"That night, after I dropped you off, I started walking home. I was thinking the entire time about what you had said about my past, and I wanted to find out so badly. I knew that it all began with the Secret Place, so I rowed over there, and took a look at that door. Well, it turns out that that door isn't just some door placed there for no apparent reason, it's an actual door...but not just any door..." He looked down at her. "Promise you'll believe me on this?" He asked, and she nodded.  
  
"...It's a door to other worlds." He said, and Cassie snorted.  
  
"You've gotta be joking, Seig." She said. "That's impossible." Seig shook his head vigorously.  
  
"I thought so too, but it's true. I went through, and found myself back at my real home. It's all really complicated, but you have to believe me!" She bit her lip, and looked down at the grass.  
  
"I don't know...it all seems so farfetched..." Seig leapt up, and looked down at her.  
  
"This'll prove it." He said, and closed his eyes. This time all he had to do was imagine it in his hand, and it materialized. He opened his eyes, holding up the weapon, gleaming in the sunshine, and then down at Cassie, who was gaping at it.  
  
"Wh-what is that?" She stuttered, and Seig let the weapon fall to his side.  
  
"It's a Keyblade, used to open the doors. It can only be summoned by an Angel." Cassie gave him a very weird look, and stood up.  
  
"You're a...Angel?" She asked, looking at his shoulders as if expecting wings to come sprouting from them in an instant. Seig nodded.  
  
"Yeah, that's what people have been telling me. I didn't believe it at first either, but then I called this thing, and it came. So, I guess that makes me one..." He said, and banished it away with a wave of his hand. Coming up to Cassie, he looked down at his feet.  
  
"Look, I know this is kinda hard to swallow and all, but you hafta believe me." He said. Cassie paused for a minute, the looked up at him smiling.  
  
"All right, I believe you." She said, and Seig grinned. A bell rang inside the school, and Seig looked towards the doors.  
  
"You'd better get to class." He said. Nodding she moved towards the school, but not before giving Seig a kiss on the cheek.  
  
Seig practically skipped all the way home, where he threw open the door. The house was in a mood almost as good as his, most of the Resistance members emptying out Seig's fridge, or marveling at the TV. Ban was still nowhere to be seen. Approaching Cale and Aleeshia, he popped that exact question.  
  
"Where's Ban?" The two just shrugged, and Cale looked up.  
  
"He went outside a while ago...he's been acting weird ever since we got him from that cell..." He trailed off, immersed in a cartoon.  
  
Since Seig knew for certain that Ban wasn't out in the front, he headed towards the back door, towards the beach....and sure enough, there was Ban, sitting cross-legged, staring at the beach. Approaching his friend, hands in his pockets, Seig observed his mood. He didn't even seem to notice Seig's arrival. So, Seig made himself noticeable.  
  
"The beach is great, ain't it?" He asked casually, and Ban didn't say anything at all. Some time passed between the two before Ban spoke up in the same, dead voice he had back in the cell.  
  
"I'm surprised you still feel like talking to me..." He said, and a look of confusion crossed Seig's face.  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Because of what I did..." He said enigmatically. Seig stood in puzzlement, trying to think of what Ban could have done.  
  
Then the light bulb clicked.  
  
"You told Ansem, didn't you?"  
  
Ban nodded. Seig felt like he could have summoned the Keyblade right then and there and cut Ban's head from his shoulders, but he pushed the rage back down, and tried to act casual about it, despite the very not casual topic.  
  
"Can I ask why?"  
  
"Ansem promised to take care of my family...everyone in the city is starving, especially my family...but he broke his promise, and imprisoned me. He lied to me..."  
  
Seig nodded. It made perfect sense, and he couldn't hate Ban for trying to protect his family, to keep them alive. Even if it meant selling Seig and the others out.  
  
"Oh...I can understand why then." Seig said, and looked down at Ban smiling. Ban looked worried, distress written all over his face.  
  
"You...you're not mad?" He asked, and Seig shrugged.  
  
"I was...but you had pure intentions. Nobody can blame you for that. Not even me." He clapped Ban on the back, and turned towards the house. Then, as if he had a sudden thought, he turned back to Ban.  
  
"I think we'll just keep this a secret between me and you, 'k?" He asked, and Ban nodded, actually breaking in to a grin.  
  
Seig returned to the house in enough time to see Leon walked down the stairs, calm as ever, a map clenched tightly in his hand.  
  
"Cloud, Seig, upstairs now." He said. Cloud rose from his chair in the corner, and walked up Seig's wooden stairs, Seig himself in tow.  
  
Seig's bedroom had been turned in to a mini war-room, his table set up in the middle; an old map lay open on top of it. Merlin and Yuffie stood around it, Yuffie stamping her foot impatiently.  
  
"Right," Leon began, closing the door behind them. "This is a map of the castle, the first floor. We need a plan to infiltrate it, and give Seig a clear chance to take down Ansem." Seig gulped. "So, we take the passageway behind the statue, sneak up through this corridor here," He ran his finger along the paper. "And take these back stairs up to the top level. Now, Ansem will most likely be here," He pointed to a large chamber marked 'Hall of the Worlds'. Merlin nodded in agreement.  
  
"Most likely. If Seig's story about Axel taking his blood is true,"  
  
"What did'ja think I was doing, making it up...?" Seig mumbled inaudibly.  
  
"Then Ansem aims to use his blood to open the doors to the worlds." Merlin finished. Seeing the confused look on Seig's face, the old man explained. "While using your Angel blood, if infused with enough Darkness, he could create an unholy Keyblade, the exact opposite of your own."  
  
"Oh, what fun..." Seig said sarcastically.  
  
"So, we need to get you close enough to Ansem to destroy that Keyblade, and seal the doors. Yuffie and I will take one group of men, Cloud will take the other. Seig, you will go with Cloud and his team. They'll get you where you need to go. My team will bring up the rea-."  
  
"Hey!" Yuffie cried suddenly. "YOUR team? What about me, huh? If anyone leads this team, it'll be me!"  
  
The four men ignored her ceaseless ranting as Merlin talked directly to Seig, Yuffie yelling in the background as Leon dragged her off, followed by the ever-silent Cloud.  
  
"Now, Seig...this is difficult for you, I can imagine...but you know what you must do." Seig nodded.  
  
"Yeah, I know. Kill Ansem, seal the doors, save the worlds. I got it." He said, and Merlin shook his white-maned head.  
  
"It is not that simple. The first thing you must do is defeat Ansem, and this alone is the hardest part. Ansem is a master of the Darkness; he has had a lifetime of training, while you have not. No doubt he is better at fighting than you, but I believe that the Light in you will triumph over over him."  
  
"Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence." Seig said lamely, and walked out of the room. All he felt like doing was eating a pop-tart and taking a really long nap, but instead he had just hours before he had to save the world. Grabbing the last pop-tart, Seig left his house again, determined to get away from everyone.  
  
"Hey Seig!" Sora called from down the path. _Goddamnit..._He had forgotten he had told his friends to come over later. Riku, Sora, Kairi, Yuna, Rikku and Cassie all walked on to Seig's porch, and crowded around Seig, sitting on his bench swing. Sighing, he flashed them all a halfhearted smile, and moved over to the side to let people sit down. Cassie plopped down next to him, smiling reassuringly. Seig took a bite out of his pop-tart, while everyone sat somewhere, expecting to hear his story.  
  
"I guess you're all here to hear my story, huh?" He asked. Nobody said anything; they knew why they were here. Seig really didn't feel like talking, much less relating his story, so he tried to do it in the shortest possible way, leaving out things when they needed to be left out.  
  
"...and so, I gotta save the world now, I guess. I...I don't know if I'm coming back or not, I don't know what's going to happen..." He trailed off. Riku's face was grim, Sora was silent, his hand intertwined with Kairi, who had a few tears trailing down her cheek. Cassie was silent beside him, her head resting on his shoulder. Whatever happened in the White City would happen here if he failed. He couldn't fail, not when so much mattered. "You guys," He said quietly, but everyone looked up at him. "I really don't know what will happen there, whether I'll win or not....but, you guys should know this: the time I've spent here has been filled with the most real experiences I've ever had, and you guys have been the best friends I've ever had...you've taught me so much about...hell, everything. So...thanks."  
  
Seig had less than four hours until they left, and he wanted to spend it in the best possible way. So, everyone went to the Sleepy Moogle to just enjoy themselves, and, more importantly, forget.  
And, for an hour and a half, Seig did forget about almost everything he had to do, and all he did was squirt coke out of his nose laughing at Sora's jokes, chuck French fries at the girls and just plain old goof off. For once, Seig didn't feel different; he didn't feel special in the least. But then, all too soon, everyone left. A 'good luck' and a hug from Sora, and high-five from Riku, a tear-filled hug from Yuna, a peck on the cheek from Rikku and another hug from Kairi. All that was left was Seig and Cassie.  
  
"Seig?" Cassie asked, her head resting on Seig's chest. Seig didn't say anything in reply, so she assumed he was asleep. The gentle rise and fall of his chest confirmed this. From his story, he hadn't gotten a good night sleep since the day before, and so much had happened to him in that time. She had worried so much when he disappeared, and now he was back...but now he was in even more danger than he was before. She would have cried right then and there, but she forced herself to be strong, like Seig would have to be. Sitting up in the bed, she turned to look back at him. His eyes were open, staring at her calmly.  
  
Seig smiled at her, and she smiled back. "Come here..." He said, and she crawled back to him. Her face inches from his; she looked down in to his violet eyes.  
  
"I don't want you to go." She said, and Seig smiled again.  
  
"I know baby...but I gotta." He said gently, caressing her cheek. Sighing, she smiled.  
  
"I know you do...I just wish you didn't have to." Seig nodded, and closed his eyes.  
  
"Yeah...being special sucks." He said, and Cassie giggled. Looking down at him, she leaned in closer.  
  
"You'll always be my Guardian Angel, no matter what..."  
  
A knock at the door broke the pair out of their kiss.  
  
"Seig? Leon's finished with the briefing...whenever you're ready, we'll leave." Yuffie's voice came from the other side. Cassie, lying on top of Seig, buried her face in the crook of his neck.  
  
The boats glided silently across the quiet ocean water, the only sounds could be heard were the splashes of the oars leaving the water, and the cry of the seagulls above. Tension reeked from every person on the boats, each just as afraid as the other, but none more afraid than Seig. But he couldn't show it, not in front of everyone. Despite his age, despite his size, nobody stood taller in importance, and for that, everyone respected him.  
  
The odd assortment of people stood in the Secret Spot, all holding wrists or hands, or saying prayers. Seig stood off to the side with Cassie. Taking his hand, she opened it up and dropped a necklace in to it.  
  
"Take this..." She said, and closed his hand over it. "This is probably the most valuable thing I own, so take good care of it." Seig just looked down at the heart-shaped pendant, and back up at her. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he kissed her gently. No words were needed.  
  
Turning towards the door, Seig moved towards his fate, towards his destiny, and towards the future of the worlds...not entirely sure whether he would be able to look back again.

Holy shit...man I need a break. This was a lot longer than I thought it would be, but I like to think it turned out alright. Anyhoo, same stuff as the top, like r&r and all that fun on a bun stuff.Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go watch Blue Collar Comedy Tour.   
  
Coming Soon (very soon, it might be a tad on the short side, but hey, BIG FIGHT SEQUENCES! Huzzah.): White King Volume III: Immortal Redemption


End file.
